Hamilton brothers 'grateful' after Nepal earthquake

Retired bookseller Bryan Prince and his brother, Ross, are back in Hamilton from their trip to Nepal that coincided with the devastating earthquake in that country. And they're trying to hang on to memories and connections to friends they have back in Nepal as they get back into the swing of their lives in Canada.

The death toll has climbed to more than 7,500 in the aftermath of the April 25 earthquake and subsequent tremors and mudslides. A 7.3 magnitude temblor struck last Tuesday about 150 km from epicentre of the April 25 disaster.

Neither brother is calling their experience an "ordeal," Prince said, compared to the experiences of other travelers and even more compared the people who live in Nepal and surrounding areas. A friend of his suggested he felt "survivor guilt," but that's not quite it, he said. 

"I thought that was a little melodramatic," Prince, 66, said. "We're the non-story in a lot of ways. But I'm grateful to be home, and deeply reflective."

The experience has brought Prince, in an unexpected way, the very thing he hopes for when he travels: "A measure of enlightenment." 

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The two brothers had been in Nepal for a few weeks; Bryan hiked the Annapurna Circuit, and Ross visited a monastery before they met back up. They were in Kathmandu when the 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit. They stayed in a small parklike space for several hours until they were sure it was safe. Then they ventured out into the streets only to see that many of the buildings around them had been reduced to rubble.

The only injury they personally witnessed in that first quake was a woman who had a gash on her arm from a falling brick.

And so when friends and family watched the news of devastation all throughout Kathmandu and the rest of Nepal, and had spotty chances to connect with the Prince brothers, the anxiety was often more intense than what the men themselves were experiencing, Prince said.

"We were so close to it, but really isolated," he said. "And that's the irony of the way news travels."

'What we were hoping for was a full-blown embassy'

While the brothers were in Nepal, they and their family were disappointed in the initial Canadian response to theirs and others' plight. 

In the heat of the moment, after walking through the darkening city and finding the Canadian consulate by shining their headlamps on a brass plaque out front, they had expected more than the "small little consulate" that wasn't prepared to navigate such an influx of Canadians seeking help and shelter, Prince said.

They supplied internet connection and said the people would need to move on, which was upsetting to people there. Back home, Prince's wife Joan Keating called the situation at the time "appalling."

"What we were hoping for was a full-blown embassy," he said. "Our expectations was far beyond what they were able to do."

In retrospect, Prince said, he understands the limits of a volunteer, honourary consul. He was ultimately able to access better places to sleep through connections with British and American facilities. But he hopes he's able to suggest some protocols for consulates in similar future situations.

"A lot of people were indignant on our behalf," he said, saying "'That's not right,' and 'You were just stranded there.' They're kind of asking for accountability. And I'm saying, 'Well, just quietly, we learned something here, so let's talk to somebody about it.'"

'These things are quickly forgotten'

Especially after events like last week's major aftershock, Prince said he and his brother are in touch with people in Nepal whom they have built personal friendships with.

"We're pretty much preoccupied with what's happening out of there," he said. But, he added, "I have a sense of purpose; I'm not at loose ends at all." 

Talking about it with friends and family and media helps to keep it in the public's mind, he said. And he hopes to raise some money to send back to help. 

"The velocity with which we live our lives in the western world, these things are quickly forgotten," he said. "And it's not because people don't think well of others or are selfish, but it's our lives can carry on, and issues like this do disappear." 

It's early to say whether the Prince brothers will venture out again on an international trek. They missed their planned trip to Tibet when they came home after the earthquake.

"I've been joking and saying my next trek will be through the Royal Botanical Gardens with my two grandchildren," Prince said.